Posts tagged John Hildebrandt

He stops and greets people, he talks to employees and he picks up other people’s trash — something he does a lot.

“I carry two of these with me all the time,” Hildebrandt said as he pulled out two hand wipes from his pocket. “We keep the park immaculate for the guests. That is our promise.”

Hildebrandt picks up cigarette butts, drink containers and other trash to throw out at the nearest trash bin.

Hildebrandt is vice president and general manager at Cedar Point. He is the man who is responsible for the daily operations of the park. And he likes a clean park.

During the park-operating season Hildebrandt starts his day before he walks into the park. He said he reads reports of what has happened in the park the night before. As he drives up the causeway, as he walks the park, he is looking for anything out of place, anything not right.

As Hildebrandt walks around the park he listens to how employees interact with guests. He walks up to ride platforms and listens to see if ride operators are following the script of greeting guests and discussing the ride’s safety procedures.

As new CEO Matt Ouimet has said: It is Hildebrandt’s park.

And on the park’s 143th opening day, Hildebrandt arrived before the park opened and was there until after it closed.

“It is tradition that on opening day and on closing day I am here from morning to close,” Hildebrandt said.

Two season pass holders from the Toledo area were the first in line. Jordan Jacobsen, 21, and Sarah Pietras, 19, rode side by side in one of the 32 pairs of seats that swing around the ride’s tower.

“Exciting. Great view. Amazing view of this park,” Jacobsen said. “Pretty windy up there. Definitely if you’re seeking wind, you’re getting it. Not much of a thrill. Much more of a view. Still exciting.”

“It was amazing,” Pietras said.

It appeared to spectators below that as the riders neared the top, the seats swung farther out.

“The farther up you get, you go sideways more,” Pietras confirmed. “I was a little scared.”

Cedar Point had hoped to launch the ride on opening day, May 14. Bad weather delayed construction, and mechanical bugs that park officials didn’t discuss also slowed the launch.

“Start the season,” Cedar Fair president and CEO Dick Kinzel said after he and Cedar Point general manager John Hildebrandt cut a ribbon to officially open the ride, shortly after park employees rode it to give it a final test.

“Better late than never. We’re ready to go,” said Kinzel, who is retiring at the end of the year and who drew cheers when he spoke at the park’s Coastermania event earlier this month. “It’s been a long grind. We appreciate the patience the public has had with it.”